Ocean Color Image Gallery

Irish Sea Bloom

The waters between England and Ireland, named the Irish Sea, are typically the set of a phytoplankton spring bloom during the months of April and May. Diatoms, a type of plankton that possesses a silica (glass) shell, are the main type of plankton present in those blooms. The region harbors multiple rich ecosystems from its shores and estuaries to its open sea and sea bed environments.